Lighting apparatus.



T. G. GRIGGS & A. A. DITTMAR.

LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1916.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

l J I x 'r i.

THEODORE G. GRIGGS, 0F CHATHAM, AND ALLEN A. DITTMAR, OF EL MORA, NEW

' JERSEY.

LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 13, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THEODORE G. GRIGGS, a citizen-of the United States and resident of Chatham, county of Morris, State of New Jersey, and ALLEN A. Drr'rMAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Mora, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to improvements in light ray directing or controlling de-.

vices, and has reference more particularly to what is commonly termed a light dimmer or diffuser especially adapted for use upon the head lights of automobiles and is intended to direct the rays of light in a straight line so as not to daze and confuse those at a distance from the light unless they stand directly in the path of the rays and look into the light. To this end we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of our invention which consists of a spiral of crinkled material wound within a spiral of fiat material so that the same may be placed adjacent the glass front of the lamp; thus causing the rays of light passing therethrough to travel parallel with the walls of the spiral.

In said drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in perspective a usual form of automobile head light showing a portion of the glass broken away to illustrate the position of our attachment. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the center of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail of our preferred form of ray directing and controlling attachment.

4 indicates the shell of the lamp, and 5 the usual incandescent bulb. 6 indicates our attachment held in position between the shell and the front glass 7 of the lamp. By taking a long ribbon or strip of thin, preferably polished, metal and feeding the same endwise between a pair of gears the strip will of course be crinkled as shown in the drawings and the same may then be laid between smooth strips of the same material which may be formed in rings as shown in Fig. l or preferably in a continuous spiral as shown in Fig. 3. When forming the attachment as shown in Fig. 3 it is only nec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 191?.

Serial No. 71,948.

essary to secure the end of a flat strip and a crinkled strip upon a suitable center and then wind the two until the attachment of the proper diameter has been formed when the free ends may be suitably secured by soldering or otherwise and the attachment is ready for use. For this purpose no extra fastening devices need be employed as it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the same may be introduced as soon as the glass front has been taken from the lamp and the attachment may be of such diameter as to bear against the Walls of the lamp as shown so that when the glass door has been closed upon the same the attachment is snugly and securely held in position.

The rays of light radiating from the lamp 5 upon striking our attachment are of course caused to travel straight outwardly from the lamp instead of radiatin as usual, thus maintaining the intensity of ight without permitting the same to daze and produce a blinding effect upon those who stand anywhere in front of the vehicle upon which the light is used.

It is understood that various forms of screens having parallel side walls have been introduced in the path of a light for accomplishing the objects herein referred to, but in such attachments the screens are usually made by intersecting strips forming rectangular and polygonal cells through which the light passes. According to the preferred form of our invention it will be readily observed that the entire attachment can be conveniently formed of two strips of material, one of which is preferably crinkled or otherwise suitably formed so that when wound in a spiral with a flat strip suitable passages may be provided forthe light to pass through. In the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, it has been convenient to form one of the strips by passing it between a pair of gears as aforesaid,'but it will be readily understood that the particular form of gear teeth which may be used for that pur pose is immaterial as the cells through which the light passes may be of any suitable form, and of course the crinkling may be done by other means if found desirable. It will also be understood that several crinkled strips may be employed instead of one and various modifications may be made in .the structural details and spirit of the inve tion without departing from the same as claimed.

We claim: i

1. A device of the class described comprising narrow strips of material one of which is crinkled transversely and all of which are wound in a spiral.

2. LA screen comprising spirally wound narrow strips of material, one of said strips having a series of depressions transversely of the same. I

3. In combination with a lamp, a screen adapted to be secured in the front thereof, said screen having passages formed by depressions in a narrow strip of material adjacent another narrow strip of flat material.

4. In combination with a lamp, a screen adapted to be secured in the front thereof, said screen having a spirally wound ribbon ofmaterial looped. at intervals throughout its length. x

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE G. GRIGGS. 1 ALLEN A. DITTMAR. Witnesses:

LOUISE ENDERLE,

THOMAS A. HILL. 

